Using techniques to identify and diagnose bottlenecks to improve overall performance

Course Description

This is a Microsoft Official Course (MOC) and includes Microsoft courseware and hands-on labs. This course provides students who manage and maintain SQL Server databases with the knowledge and skills to performance tune and optimize their databases.

The primary audience for this course is individuals who administer and maintain SQL Server databases and are responsible for optimal performance of SQL Server instances that they manage. These individuals also write queries against data and need to ensure optimal execution performance of the workloads. The secondary audiences for this course are individuals who develop applications that deliver content from SQL Server databases.

Course Prerequisites

Before attending this course, students must have:

Basic knowledge of the Microsoft Windows operating system and its core functionality

Working knowledge of database administration and maintenance

Working knowledge of Transact-SQL

About MOC On-Demand

Microsoft Official Courses On-Demand (MOC On-Demand) uses a combination of streaming video, text, lab exercises and assessment checks throughout the course. MOC On-Demand courses are available for 90 days and recommend the following system requirements:

Browser: Current version of Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Firefox

Internet: Broadband Internet connection of over 4Mbps

Screen Resolution: 1280 x 1024 or higher

Course Overview

Module 1: SQL Server Architecture, Scheduling and Waits

This module covers high level architectural overview of SQL Server and its various components. It dives deep into SQL Server execution model, waits and queues.

Lessons

SQL Server Components and SQL OS

Windows Scheduling vs SQL Scheduling

Waits and Queues

Lab

SQL Server Architecture, Scheduling, and Waits

After completing this module, you will be able to:

Describe the SQL Server components and SQL OS

Describe the differences between Windows Scheduling and SQL scheduling

Describe waits and queues

Module 2: SQL Server I/O

This module covers core I/O concepts, Storage Area Networks and performance testing. It focuses on SQL Server I/O operations and how to test storage performance.

Lessons

Core Concepts

Storage Solutions

I/O Setup and Testing

Lab

Testing Storage Performance

After completing this module, you will be able to:

Describe the core concepts of SQL I/O

Describe storage solutions

Setup and test I/O

Module 3: Database Structures

This module covers Database Structures, Data File and TempDB Internals. It focuses on architectural concepts and best practices related to data files for user databases and TempDB.

Lessons

Database Structure Internals

Data File Internals

TempDB Internals

Lab

Database Structures

After completing this module, you will be able to:

Describe the internal setup of database structures

Describe the internal setup of data files

Describe the internal setup of TempDB

Module 4: SQL Server Memory

This module covers Windows and SQL Server Memory internals. It focuses on architectural concepts and best practices related to SQL Server Memory Configuration.

Lessons

Windows Memory

SQL Server Memory

In-Memory OLTP

Lab

SQL Server Memory

After completing this module, you will be able to:

Describe the components of Windows memory

Describe the components of SQL Server memory

Describe In-Memory OLTP

Module 5: SQL Server Concurrency

This module covers Transactions and Locking Internals. It focuses on architectural concepts and best practices related to Concurrency, Transactions, Isolation Levels and Locking.

Lessons

Concurrency and Transactions

Locking Internals

Lab

SQL Server Concurrency

After completing this module, you will be able to:

Explain concurrency and transactions

Describe locking

Module 6: Statistics and Index Internals

This module covers Statistics and Index Internals. It focuses on architectural concepts and best practices related to Statistics and Indexes.

Lessons

Statistics Internals and Cardinality Estimation

Index Internals

Columnstore Indexes

Lab

Statistics and index Internals

After completing this module, you will be able to:

Describe statistics internals

Explain cardinality estimation

Describe why you would use Columnstore indexes and be able to implement one

Module 7: Query Execution and Query Plan Analysis

This module covers Query Execution and Query Plan Analysis. It focuses on architectural concepts of the Optimizer and how to identify and fix query plan issues.

Lessons

Query execution and optimizer internals

Query execution plans

Analyzing query execution plans

Adaptive query processing

Lab

Query execution and query plan analysis

After completing this module, you will be able to:

Describe query execution and optimizer

Analyze query plans and resolve common issues

Module 8: Plan Caching and Recompilation

This module covers Plan Caching and Recompilation. It focuses on architectural concepts, troubleshooting scenarios and best practices related to Plan Cache.